Dual grip device



Oct. 13, 1964 w. VAUGHAN, JR., E'YIAL 3,152,761

DUAL GRIP DEVICE Filed Jan. 15, 1962 NVENTORS /6 WHL 75/? L VLH/GHANJ'R.

Emma J MuLT/m/ H TTORNE Y 3,152,761 DUAL GRKP DEVICE Walter L. Vaughan, In, Brooklyn, and Bruno J. Multari, Bronx, N.Y., assignors to E. 1.. Post 8; Co., Inc., New

York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Jan. 15, 1962, Ser. No. 166,433 3 filaims. (Cl. 238-14) This invention relates to devices for use in connection with motor vehicles and preferably stored in the rear compartment of lighter vehicles, such as pleasure cars, to provide means for Obtaining traction of the drive wheels of the vehicle on snow or ice covered roadways, or roadways having muddy or other slippery characteristics.

More particularly, the invention deals with a device employing a plurality of weighted bars joined and spaced by a flexible member or element, the bars having spaced gripper elements projecting from the lower surface of the bars in establishing positive grip with a road surface and, wherein, the bars themselves provide grippers engaged by the drive Wheels of the vehicle in establishing the desired traction in freeing the vehicle from an otherwise stalled condition.

The novel features of the invention will be best understood from the following description, when taken together with the accompanying drawing, in which certain embodiment of the invention are disclosed and, in which, the separate parts are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views and, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic bottom plan view of a device made according to our invention, with parts of the construction broken away and indicating the coupling and spacing member of the device, for the most part, in dotdash lines and broken away.

FIG. 2 is a section on the double broken line 2-2 of FIG. 1, with part of the construction shown in elevation and a part indicated in broken dot-dash lines.

FIG. 3 is an isometric view of one of the gripper inserts which we employ detached; and

FIG. 4 is an end view of one of the bars of the device, as shown in FIG. 1 of the drawing, showing the bar in the normal use position.

In illustrating one adaptation and use of the invention, we have shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawing a device comprising four similar dual grip bars 16 in slightly different arrangements with respect to each other, these bars being joined and spaced by a flexible member or element which, in the construction shown, comprises a chain 11 which is diagrammatically illustrated, in part, in one of the bars 10 of the device, the remainder of the member or element being indicated in dot-dash lines and broken away to simplify the present illustration. This member or element has, beyond one end bar 10, a looped handgrip portion 11; whereas, the ends of the chain are anchored in the other end bar, namely the bar to the right of FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawing.

' of the same construction and the brief description of one insert will apply to all; It will appear, however, that, in the molding operation forming the completely assembled device, the gripper inserts 12 will be differently arranged, in the manner diagrammaticaly illustrated in FIG.

1 of .the drawing.

One of the inserts 12 is diagrammatically illustrated in the isometric view, FIG. 3, and is preferably in the V form of a cast steel or other hard metal material fashioned.

to'form two side plates 13 and 14, the plate portion 13 United States Patent 3,152,361 Patented et. 13, 19 64 being shorter than the plate portion 14 and located centrally with respect to the insert; whereas, the plate portion 14 is divided by a central opening 15 into two grippers 16, the single plate 13 forming the other gripper of the insert. The plate portions 13, 14 are joined by a central web 17, note FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, which space the plates or grippers 13 and 16 one from the other, in the manner diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawing, it being noted'that the two grippers 16 slightly overlap the gripper 13, so as to provide, on the lower surface of all of the bars, an uninterrupted line of grippers to the extent that they are arranged on the surface intermediate the ends of the bars. Each of the inserts 12 have three depending feet 13, two of which are shown in FIG. 3 of the drawing, and the other, or third, foot is indicated in dotted lines in FIG. 1 and in section in FIG. 2. These feet are employed to support the insert in the mold preparatory to casting the body of each bar around the insert, in the manner which will clearly appear from the sectional views in FIG. 2 of the drawing. It will be noted that the bar at the left of FIGS. 1 and 2 is of greater depth than the bar at the right of said figures and, in fact, there is a gradual reduction in depth of the bars from left to right, as will clearly appear from a consideration of FIG. 2 of the drawing, so that the projection of the grippers 13, 16 from the lower surface 10' of the bars will vary. The body of the bars 10 tapers upwardly and the upper surfaces are preferably recessed, as seen at 19 within peripheral edges of the bar to provide the resulting projecting beaded edges 2%) which will provide, on the supper surfaces of the bars, means establishing a better grip of the tire with each of the bars.

The inserts 12 have reduced projecting ends 21, clearly noted in FIG. 3 of the drawing, and these ends include projecting pin or hook members 22 and, in the molding operation, the chain will rest on the surface 21' of the projections 21, with the pins 22 arranged in one of the links of the chain, as diagrammatically illustrated in the more complete showing of the chain in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawing.

In the molding operation, it will be understood that both end portions of the chain will be arranged in the cavities in which the molten material of the bars is poured or otherwise injected in forming the respective castings, anchoring the chains or that part of the chains arranged therein. In doing this, a predetermined spacing of adjacent bars one with respect to the other will be provided to establish a positive grip of a tire with at least one of the bars at all times. 7

In the showing of FIG. 4 of the drawing, this represents' an end view of the righthand bar, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, with the bar in its normal position, in other words, with the grippers 13, 16 projecting from the lower surface 10 of the bar. By staggering the arrangement of the grippers on adjacent bars, in the manner diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 1, a positive grip is assured at all times to insure attaining traction in freeing a vehicle from any type and kind of slippery road condition.

In use, one or two of the devices are placed rearwardly or forwardly of the drive wheels of a vehicle with the righthand bar 16' of FIG. 1 in abutting engagement with the tire and the other bars spaced longitudinally along the road to the extent of spacing provided by the chains and in any given path to control direction of travel of the vehicle.

By employing weighted bars, as defined, two of these devices, when stored in the rear compartment of a pleasure vehicle, will provide dead weight ballast to provide better traveling conditions of a vehicle over a roadway of any type or kind and this particularly true with the lighter and smaller vehicles which have a tendency to sway, due to the lack of weight at the rear of the vehicle. From this standpoint, the dual gripper devices have a third practical and useful function in proper operation of a vehicle. 7

Having fully described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A device of the character described comprising a plurality of bars having spaced grippers projecting from the lower surface thereof, a flexible element extending through end portions of the bars and secured by grippers embedded in the bars in joining and spacing said bars, each bar of the device comprising a molded metallic body, the grippers of each bar being offset transversely of each bar, said grippers comprising an integral part of a one-piece insert extending longitudinally of each bar, said insert including projecting means at end portions thereof engaging and keying the flexible element extending through end portions of each bar, the major portion of the insert being embedded in said bars, and said bars being of different thickness resulting in a greater projection of grippers of one bar with respect to those of an adjacent bar.

2. A device of the character described comprising a plurality of bars having spaced'grippers projecting from the lower surface thereof, a flexible element extending through end portions of the bars and secured by grippers embedded in the bars in joining and spacing said bars, each bar of the device comprising a molded metallic body, the grippers of each bar being offset transversely of each bar, said grippers comprising an integral part of a one-piece insert extending longitudinally of each bar, said insert including projecting means at end portions thereof engaging and keying the flexible element extending through end portions of each bar, the major portion of the insert being embedded in said bars, and the upper surface of each bar being recessed to form beaded pe ripheral edges thereon.

3. A device of the character described comprising a plurality of bars having spaced grippers projecting from the lower surface thereof, a flexible element extending through end portions of the bars and secured by grippers embedded in the bars in joining and spacing said bars, each bar of the device comprising a molded metallic body, the grippers of each bar being offset transversely of each bar, said grippers comprising an integral part of a one-piece insert extending longitudinally of each bar, said insert including projecting means at end portions thereof engaging and keying the flexible element extending through end portions of each bar, the major portion of the insert being embedded in said bars, one of the grippers of each bar being arranged centrally at one side of the bar, and the other grippers of each bar being spaced from and arranged adjacent the opposed side of the bar.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. A DEVICE OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF BARS HAVING SPACED GRIPPERS PROJECTING FROM THE LOWER SURFACE THEREOF, A FLEXIBLE ELEMENT EXTENDING THROUGH END PORTIONS OF THE BARS AND SECURED BY GRIPPERS EMBEDDED IN THE BARS IN JOINING AND SPACING SAID BARS, EACH BAR OF THE DEVICE COMPRISING A MOLDED METALLIC BODY, THE GRIPPERS OF EACH BAR BEING OFFSET TRANSVERSELY OF EACH BAR, SAID GRIPPERS COMPRISING AN INTEGRAL PART OF A ONE-PIECE INSERT EXTENDING LONGITUDINALLY OF EACH BAR, SAID INSERT INCLUDING PROJECTING MEANS AT END PORTIONS THEREOF ENGAGING AND KEYING THE FLEXIBLE ELEMENT EXTENDING THROUGH END PORTIONS OF EACH BAR, THE MAJOR PORTION OF THE INSERT BEING EMBEDDED IN SAID BARS, AND SAID BARS BEING OF DIFFERENT THICKNESS RESULTING IN A GREATER PROJECTION OF GRIPPERS OF ONE BAR WITH RESPECT TO THOSE OF AN ADJACENT BAR. 